Start of Season 2026-27We are pleased to confirm that we are starting the 2026-27 season on Sunday, 1 November 2026.
Who we are
Fun first, every time
Dickson Swim Club is a relaxed, non-competitive community club that runs during the warmer months at Dickson Pool in Canberra.
We're not a swim school or a competitive squad. We complement those programs by offering swimming as fun, water safety and recreation, while building local community connections.
Children are placed in the group that suits them, and they can move up when they're ready.
Where we swim
Home is Dickson Pool
We meet at Dickson Pool, 152 Cowper St, Dickson ACT, on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country. The pool opens for summer in late October and closes in March, and our season follows it.
Look out for the mosaic by the entrance. It was created by the Majura Women's Group in 1999 and gifted to Dickson Swimming Pool.
50m outdoor poolOpens 31 Oct 2026Rain, hail or shine
Feathered friends
The ducks of Dickson
The pool shares its water with a friendly family of local ducks. They've become part of the pool's community, waddling poolside and paddling between the lane ropes.
Pool staff keep a watchful eye on them, and have even set up a special ramp to help them climb in and out of the water.
Weekly event
Friday Night PBs
Personal Bests: timed 50m swims, 6.00–6.45pm. All levels welcome!
We use the last two lanes, with parent volunteers on the stopwatches. Every child is challenged to complete as many laps as they can, in any stroke. It doesn't matter if you take 30 seconds or 3 minutes. With more laps comes more improvement.
Each Friday swimmer gets a certificate at the end of the season, with something special for those with the most laps. Afterwards there's a sausage sizzle (that's the plan, subject to interest).
Help with timing is always appreciated. No skills required. Noodles and kickboards are there for anyone who finds distance or depth challenging.
Weekly event
Sunday Sessions
Warm-ups run 9.45–10.00am next to the 50m pool. Then each lane swims at its own level, run by a mix of accredited and trained instructors and assistants.
| Lane 1 Shallow | 10.00–10.40 | 15m recognisable freestyle and 15m backstroke |
|---|---|---|
| Lane 1 Deep | 10.00–10.45 | 30m freestyle and 30m backstroke, learning breaststroke kick and arms |
| Lane 2 | 10.00–10.50 | 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 25m breaststroke, developing butterfly, multiple laps |
| Lane 3 | 10.00–11.00 | 100m freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke, 25m butterfly, multiple laps |
New swimmers should arrive by 9.40 to be assessed for their group. Want to talk about your child's swimming? Just ask us at the pool.
Best pancakes under the sun
Then, pancakes!
Every Sunday session is followed by the famous Dickson Swim Club pancakes.
All families sign up to the pancake roster: shopping for supplies, preparing the batter and cooking. All utensils and instructions are provided, so anyone can take a turn.
Look for the pancake table on Sunday mornings. It's also where you'll find club t-shirts.
Many hands make light work
Run entirely by volunteers
Every instructor, assistant and committee member gives their time. The club is happy to fund training for anyone who'd like to become a coach or swim teacher, and senior swimmers have gone on to swim teacher and lifeguard training.
Dickson Swim Club life member Martin Roberts, Paralympic coach and former Olympian, has run train-the-trainer sessions for our instructors.
Everyone can help: timing on Fridays, the sausage sizzle, crowd control, or stacking equipment bins at pack-up around 11.30am.
PresidentJulija Tovirac
Vice PresidentVacant
SecretaryAlice O'Reilly
TreasurerTuli King
Head CoachZillah Gisz
Chief TimekeeperJulie Monro-Allison
Pancake CoordinatorJanice Cerezo
Sausage Sizzle CoordinatorVacant
RegistrarVacant
Member Protection OfficerNina Lucas
Committee for 2026-27. No experience needed for the vacant roles.
Keep Watch
Safe, supervised swimming
Duty of care sits with guardians. Dickson Pool asks that a parent or guardian stays on site for every club session, and that children are supervised before and after their swim.
- 0–5 year olds and non-swimmers: stay within arm's reach
- 6–12 year olds and weaker swimmers: be close, be prepared, keep constant visual contact
- 13–14 year olds: keep visual contact
Children under 15 must be accompanied by a responsible guardian aged 16 or over.
Our Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO) is there to listen to concerns about safeguarding children and young people, or protecting adult members, and to point people to the right place for help. Email mpiodicksonswimclub@gmail.com.
Our sponsor
Proudly sponsored by Ainslie IGA
Ainslie IGA came on board in March 2022 and has renewed its sponsorship every season since, including for 2026-27.
Their support goes into training our volunteer coaches, one of the club's biggest costs. It has also bought new flippers to help our youngest swimmers with their kick.
Handmade merch
Hand-printed club tees
Every print is handmade by club volunteers, so no two are quite the same. Our timekeeper Julie hand screen-printed the latest batch in a shimmer of new colours.
T-shirts are $20, payable by cash, PayID or card at the pancake table on Sunday mornings. If your size has run out, email us and it'll go in the next batch.
Care tip: before the first wash, set the print by ironing over baking paper for 3–5 minutes.
The rhythm of summer
A season at the pool
- September: the Annual General Meeting sets up the committee, and spring arrives.
- Late October: Dickson Pool opens and the season begins.
- December: a water safety session (kids swim in spare clothes over their swimmers), then a break over Christmas.
- January: back in the pool for Sundays and Friday PBs.
- Canberra Day long weekend: no sessions. Many families take on the Broulee Bay to Breakers ocean swim.
- March: on the last PB night, parents jump in and race the kids. The season ends with pool games, awards and a sausage sizzle (vegan option included).
More than laps
A club that shows up
Volunteers and friends swim Laps for Life each March to raise funds for ReachOut's youth mental health services.
The club turns out for its own, too. Members came along when Lane 1 Deep instructor Kate launched her humorous self-help book, Does My Universe Look Big in This?. They also cheered on assistant coach Alister, who performs Balkan, Greek and Asia Minor folk music as Merak Machine.
From the noticeboard
Club news
Every post from the club website, newest first.
2026-27 Season Starting SoonThe 2026-27 season is starting soon!
March 2026 UpdateIt is hard to believe autumn is officially here.
January 2026 UpdateYou may have been wondering about the training session for Sunday, 25 Jan 2026.
December 2025 UpdateThe club is taking a break over festive season.
Introducing new MPIOFollowing a review of Dickson Swim Club’s regulatory obligations, we are pleased to welcome Sophie Gillies to the role of Member Protection Informatio…
Start of season 2025-26We are pleased to confirm that we are starting the 2025-26 season on Sunday, 26 October 2025.
2025-26 Season Starting SoonSpring is here! Dickson Pool will open on 25 October 2025 and we are working hard to get ready for the club’s 2025-26 season to start as soon as possible.
Invitations to Live Beyond OrdinaryA quick note to remind everyone there will be no session this Sunday 9 March 2025.
End of Season 2024-25It’s hard to believe the end of summer is drawing near!
Welcome to 2025We hope everyone had a relaxing break over Christmas and New Year and have been able to put last year’s training into practice over the holidays.
Season 2024-25 UpdateIt’s fantastic to welcome a great number of new faces this year as well as see a lot of our existing members back in the pool!
Start of season 2024-25We are excited to announce that the Dickson Swim Club is ready for the 2024-25 season, with a start date of Sunday, 17 November 2024.
2024-25 season – starting soon!We’re looking forward to getting back to the pool.
End-of-year holiday schedule 2022-23It has been a great start to the season, with hints of welcome warm weather on the way.
Member RegistrationRegistration instructions, now kept under Join Now.
Start of Season 2022-23We are excited to announce that the Dickson Swim Club is ready for the 2022/2023 season.
Feathered friends need a helping hand!The Dickson Aquatic Centre shares its waters with a friendly family of local ducks.
Membership fees for 2022-23Membership fees and registration steps for the 2022-23 season.
We are now proudly sponsored by Ainslie IGAThe team at Dickson Swim Club is thrilled to announce that Ainslie IGA is our brand-new sponsor!
Now on
Season 2026-27
Sundays from 1 Nov 2026
Friday PBs from 6 Nov
4-week free trial
Most swimmers need the 26/27 DSC Swimmer membership ($149.94). If you're already a member of another club, choose the Second Claim membership ($46.80). Discounts are available for families with three or more children, or those experiencing financial hardship.
Membership covers Friday night and Sunday morning sessions. Swimmers still pay Dickson Pool entry each visit (casual, multi-visit or season passes). Non-swimming parents and carers get in free.
Join now
Register in Swim Central
Registration runs through Swim Central, Swimming ACT/NSW's membership system. New families register as a parent or guardian account holder, then add their children. Returning families already have an account with their family linked.
- Log in to Swim Central with your email and password.
- Choose Store then Memberships, or Join a Club under Quick Links.
- Under Find the Club, type Dickson and pick Dickson Swim Club.
- Pick the family member you're buying for.
- Add the right membership to the cart for that person. If asked for your PIN, check your inbox for the Swim Central PIN, or choose Forgot PIN.
- Repeat for each child, then check out by card.
Come and say hello
Find us
Dickson Pool
152 Cowper St, Dickson ACT 2602
To join the mailing list, or for more information, email
dicksonswimclub@gmail.com
